KABUL: Savants were confident that a truce would be signed enabling US withdraw its troops as Taliban have shown on Sunday (29th of December, 2019) their willingness for temporary cease-fire.
Sources had claimed that Afghan Shura (ruling council) had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, proposed by Special US Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, facilitating America to pull 12000 armed personnel out of Afghanistan after 18 years of engagement, longest in its history.
But, Taliban pointing out that in the past few days, some Media have been releasing reports about a ceasefire, held: “The fact is that, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has no ceasefire plans.”
It is pertinent to mention here that Taliban had made it clear that ceasefire could only will only be ironed out after American troops withdraw from the country.
The US-Taliban talks, that were held in Doha, were stopped when Trump abandoned the parleys citing violence by Taliban.
Relevant pieces published earlier:
27 peace activists kidnapped by Taliban
26th of December, 2019
KABUL: Deputy Governor of Farah, Massoud Bakhtawar, has reported that Taliban militants had kidnapped twenty-seven peace activists from a highway in Farah province today (26th of December, 2019).
According to details, the group called People’s Peace Movement, that was formed to protest attacks after a car bomb exploded at a sport stadium in Helmand province last year killing seventeen civilians and wounding fifty others.
The activists of People’s Peace Movement were travelling by means of six vehicles from Herat to neighboring Farah on Tuesday evening when their cars was intercepted by the Taliban on a main highway. They were taken to an unknown milieu.
The activists wanted to go to different parts of the Farah province in order to appeal for peace and a ceasefire between the warring factions.
It is pertinent to mention here that Taliban (fighting a Western-backed Kabul government) presently control more territory than at any time since their government was was toppled by US-led forces in 2001.
The Taliban had earlier alleged that activists of People’s Peace Movement were being financed by a number of entities including the Kabul Government. However, the group had denied the allegations.
The activists have traveled since 2018 to various parts of Afghanistan, often marching through Taliban-controlled areas to demand peace and a ceasefire between the Taliban and Afghan government.
Pakistan thinks US-Taliban peace talks ‘necessary for Afghan conflict settlement’
28th of November, 2019
NEW YORK: Pakistan today said that it was always in the favor of the peace talks between the United States of America and Afghan Taliban as it would bring peace in the entire region.
“Pakistan expresses the hope that the resumption of direct talks between the United States (US) and the [Afghan] Taliban would lead to a peaceful settlement of the long-drawn conflict in the war-torn country [Afghanistan],” said Pakistan’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations Munir Akram while speaking in the General Assembly debate on the situation in Afghanistan here.
Ambassador Akram pointed out that Pakistan had already responded to the request made by the President of the United States (POTUS) Donald Trump seeking help in launching direct talks with the Taliban.
“Mr. Imran Khan, our respected prime minister was willing to help the United States following the request by [President] Trump in managing talks between Washington and Taliban, we [Pakistan] was ready to do that,” the ambassador said.
On November 20, the White House welcomed the release of two Western hostages, Kevin King and Timothy Weeks, from Taliban captivity in southern Afghanistan.
The duo was handed over to US forces more than three years after they were abducted in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan.
The development pushed the United States and the Trump administration re-think about launching talks with Afghan Taliban and work for restoring peace in Afghanistan.
Earlier in September, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that Pakistan would try to put all efforts in restoring US-Taliban peace talks.
Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment and support for endeavors for achieving permanent peace in Afghanistan, PM Khan stated that it was essential for his own country’s socio-economic development and progress too.
“Instability in Afghanistan is impacting both Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan has played an honest role in search for peace in the war-torn country” he said.
News Pakistan
